Online resources

This is where you can find a variety of practical help and the latest in museum and gallery thinking.

We’ve divided our resources into fact sheets, templates, ‘How to’ guides as well as resources developed by external professional organisations.

There is also a large selection of education kits and M&G’s research.

If there’s something you need or can’t find, contact us and we’ll do our best to fill that gap.

Attract new museum audiences

Drawn from the workshop titled Community, Collaboration, Change presented by Rebecca Jones as part of the 2015 Standards Program.

Hazardous Materials in Medical Collections

This is a fact sheet by M&G which details materials in medical museum collections that may present a danger, either to museum workers and visitors, or to other objects in the collection

School excursions and risk management

This fact sheet by M&G takes you through school excursions and the responsibilities of museums and galleries in being a safe host environment.

Teaching history in museums through sensory activities

In this video the learning team at Museums of History NSW shows how sensory activities can be used to engage school students in the stories and histories of museum collections and sites.

Teaching history in museums through roleplay

The learning team at Museums of History NSW shows how roleplay can be used to engage school students in the stories and histories of museum collections and sites.

Teaching history in museums through objects

The learning team at Museums of History NSW shows how museum objects can be used to engage school students in the stories and histories in museum collections and sites.

Checklist for New Museum Building Projects

This is a resource from Museums Galleries Scotland about new building projects. It covers everything from the building, the needs of the collection and management and costs.

Just because it’s old: museums and galleries in heritage buildings

This publication will help you understand the issues involved in setting up a museum or gallery, and the problems and the advantages of using an old or heritage building.

Strategic planning for Museums and Galleries

This fact sheet unpacks what's in a Strategic Plan and explains how to prepare one.

Planning a new museum

This M&G fact sheet is is a checklist of important things to consider if you are planning a new museum.

Planning a Regional Gallery

A public art gallery is an important cultural and social focus for any community. Here is a checklist for what to consider and plan for.

Risk management

Risk management involves the identification, measurement, control and minimisation of risks within your organisation.

Hazardous material assistance and advice organisations

This is a list by M&G of contact details for organisations that can help you with hazardous materials.

Hazardous materials in museum collections

This is a fact sheet by M&G which details materials in general museum collections that may present a danger, either to museum workers and visitors, or to other objects in the collection.

Hazardous materials–written reference list

This is a list by M&G of references which can assist you when dealing with hazardous materials.

Museum security fact sheet

This fact sheet includes tips for reducing susceptibility to burglary or theft in your museum.

Working with children

This fact sheet by M&G gives you an overview of what you need to do if you are working with children within your organisation.

Risk Assessment and Management for Exhibition Content

This resource, produced by M&G NSW and NETS Victoria, outlines how to develop a risk management strategy for exhibitions that may contain content that could be perceived to be controversial, provocative or have the potential to offend certain members of your community, audience or stakeholder groups.

Clever Custodians

Quick tips and initiatives for improving the energy efficiency of small-to-medium museums and galleries.

Sustainability and heritage

This resource has a conservation perspective on issues such as sustainability and the built environment and the impact of climate change on cultural heritage. By the Getty Conservation Institute.

Museums Change Lives

This resource by Museums Association is their vision for the increased social impact of museums.

Sustainable lighting in museums and galleries explained

Interview with Julian Bickersteth of International Conservation Services about sustainable lighting solutions.

Sustainability and Museums

The Museums Association has issued this discussion paper to encourage people to think about museums and sustainability.

Sustainable climate control and lighting

Make informed decisions around economically and environmentally sustainable methods of exhibition practice and collections care.

Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings

This free to download publications from Historic England includes a suite of technical advice and guidance on improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings.

Creating New Income: a toolkit to support creative practice

Creating New Income Toolkit is a new resource to help individual creatives and small-to-medium organisations generate new income streams and increase their sustainability.

Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals

A how-to guide for museums, galleries, the cultural sector and their partners.

Environmental Sustainability Report & Toolkit for the NSW Arts & Cultural Sector

This comprehensive resource investigates ways to integrate environmental best practice into arts and cultural organisations’ strategic planning, operations and artistic programming, focusing on public museums and galleries.

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery: Hunter and Western Sydney report

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery? is a strategic audience evaluation study spanning from 2007 to 2010 undertaken by M&G.

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery: NSW state report

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery? is a strategic audience evaluation study spanning from 2007 to 2010 undertaken by M&G.

Art? Art! Art….

An audience development handbook for regional art galleries.

Object based learning for school groups in museums

Object-based learning in museums can offer something to all learners, whatever their learning style.

An economic value study

This M&G NSW study reveals the positive contribution to local and regional communities and their economies made by the council-operated museums, galleries and performing arts centres.

Guide to Digital Transformation in Cultural Heritage

A guide for supporting the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector across Europe.  Developed by Culture 24 and partners.

Design Approaches to Digital Projects – A Beginners Guide

A guide to developing a digital or transmedia project for your museum or gallery, utilising interactive devices, smartphones and tablets.

Social Media: Making sure your Historical Society gets its share of the limelight

Written and prepared by Suzanne Holohan, General Manager, Royal Australian Historical Society. This handout is from a presentation given at the 2019 RAHS Conference.

ICOM Social Media Guidelines

The communications team at ICOM has developed these guidelines, to share best practice, as well as tips on how to create communication campaigns and efficiently manage social media accounts.

Crystal Clear: standards and guidance for digitising regional collections

This step-by-step guide addresses all the challenges of digitising objects held in regional museums, galleries and Aboriginal keeping places.

Digital Culture Compass

A FREE online toolkit to support arts, culture and heritage organisations to integrate digital technology into their work.

Digital Pathways

Resources to help support staff and volunteers in museums, arts and heritage organisations in developing digital skills and literacies, understand and use digital tools and channels, hand-picked by Culture24.

Artificial Intelligence: A Museum Planning Toolkit

A free planning toolkit to help museums develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects, developed by The Museums + AI Network.

Using QR Codes in Museums and Galleries

QR codes can be utilised for a broad range of purposes in museums and galleries including directing a user to a web page or an application, linking to audio guides, and conducting audience research. This guide provides an introduction to QR codes and how to use them.

GLAM Workbench

A collection of tools, tutorials, examples, and hacks to help you work with data from galleries, libraries, archives, and museums.

Social Media 101: Introduction to social media for cultural organisations – Recording

On 13 September 2021, Museums and Galleries of NSW presented as Social Media 101: Introduction to social media for cultural organisations as part of Let’s Get Digital.

An introduction to immersive technology for museums

This resource from Culture 24 explains what immersive technologies are, how they can be used and why / how museums are currently using them.

Social media for museums – best practice

Developed by Culture24, this social media resource is designed to be the go-to for people in museums who may not yet have decided if social media is something their museum should be on board with, and for those who are ready to take that first step.

Digital Heritage Hub

The Digital Heritage Hub was established to assist heritage organisations in the UK, by answering the most pressing and frequently asked digital questions – from how to use digital to generate revenue to how to use data for strategic decision making.

Museum Trends: How your museum can collect and use data

This article from Locatify helps to demystify data, shows how to collect data and ultimately provides insights to improve your guest experience, marketing efforts and increase visitor numbers.

SmartyFile

Need help with your grant applications? Check out SmartyFile, an additional tool for grant seekers.

Digital Project Planning Guide for Museums and Institutions

A tool-kit for planning successful museum technology projects. Developed by CultureConnect, this guide helps you define your project scope to help establish what the project will and won't accomplish.

Digital Impact in Museums & Galleries

How can digital projects in museums and galleries be supported? One Further was commissioned by the Museums Association and Art Fund to investigate the impact of digital on museums and galleries, through the lens of the projects they've funded over the last couple of years.

Navigating Crystal Clear

This video takes you through the Crystal Clear guide, which covers some of the critical ‘how-to’ aspects of collection digitisation, including assembling your equipment or digitisation toolkit, object handling, conservation cleaning, consultation with First Nations communities, and your all-important digitisation workflows.

Search Engine Optimisation in the cultural sector

Search engine optimisation is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. This article gives an overview of the topic and provides tips on making some simple changes with big results.

Toolkit for managing digital collections

Members of the London Museum Documentation Network have developed a new toolkit for managing accessioned digital collections.

Let’s Get Real – Building a thriving hybrid working environment

Culture24’s  Let’s Get Real Hybrid report contains strategic insights; case studies, and reflections on how cultural organisations can build a thriving hybrid working environment.

Think Digital

Commissioned by Creative Australia, Think Digital aims to help organisations succeed in digital environments and enhance digital literacy to facilitate digital transformation.

Writing a grant application? Tips for success

Read this before you start your application.

The low-down on crowdfunding

Effective crowdfunding can help raise much needed funds for one off projects.

Writing for success

An M&G how-to resource on writing for success.

Project management of grants

This M&G NSW resource will take you through some key points of grant project management.

Crowdfunding

Everything you need to know when running a crowdfunded project from pros and cons, how to prepare, various platforms to use, and deciding on rewards.

Grants and funding finder

This NSW Government search tool assists in finding a government initiative, grant or funding program to help support your organisation, project or your community.

Guess Who’s Going to the Museum?

This study is an initiative of M&G NSW. It examines museum audiences, their similarities, as well as their differences to gallery audiences.

Understanding Museums: Australian Museums and Museology

A history of museums in Australia since the 1970s, covering issues in museology, regional museums and galleries, Indigenous people and museums, art museums, science museums, and museums and history.

Digital Engagement: Connecting with your audience

This guide is intended for anyone planning to use digital technologies to enhance the galley or museum experience and needing to engage external resources/contractors to do so.

How to Develop a Volunteer Policy

This M&G NSW resource explains the essential elements of a volunteer policy. It can be used as a template or a guide to develop your own comprehensive volunteer policy.

Basics of touring an exhibition

This is an M&G fact sheet addressing the basics of touring an exhibition.

NSW Government Public Art Toolkit

A comprehensive toolkit providing best practice guidance for public art. Designed for government agencies and local councils commissioning public art, the Public Art Toolkit outlines best practice in policy, commissioning, construction, and engagement with artists.

Reconciliation Australia

First stop for Aboriginal resources for museums.

How to Prepare an Acknowledgment of Country Statement

A Welcome to Country is normally performed by an Elder of the local Indigenous language group. An Acknowledgment of Country can be performed in the absence of an Indigenous representative.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

This protocol guide, developed by the Australia Council endorses the rights of Indigenous people to their cultural heritage and supports Indigenous creative practice. This protocol guide encourages self-determination and helps build a strong and diverse Indigenous arts sector.

Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols

Create NSW has developed these Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols to give guidance and direction to the broader sector in the right way to work and do business with Aboriginal people and communities.

Supply Nation

The Supply Nation website provides a database of verified Indigenous businesses: search by business name, product, service, area, or category.

Guide for Museums and Galleries Hosting Exhibitions that include Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)

This information sheet is designed to give best practice guidance to museums and galleries when they exhibit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art as part of a touring exhibition.

First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries

The Australian Museums and Galleries Association's 10-Year Indigenous Roadmap is dedicated to enhancing Indigenous engagement and employment in the sector.

Indigenous Art Code

The Indigenous Art Code is the national body that oversees a voluntary code of conduct for art dealers and entities engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and their art.

AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia

Indigenous Language Map of Australia representing all the language, social or nation groups of the Aboriginal people of Australia.

Working with Aboriginal people and communities – A Practice Resource

This resource is a guide for Community Services and relevant non-government organisations staff in NSW. It aims to improve service delivery to Aboriginal people by enhancing cultural awareness and providing strategies for effective engagement.

Managing Volunteers in Museums & Cultural Collections

Ten things you should know if you are managing volunteers.

Friends of the Museum

One way of generating ongoing support for the museum is to establish a Friends Program.

Exhibition Labelling

Not sure what to write on your labels? Here's a guide on what to include; how to order the information; and how to strategically place labels in exhibitions.

Volunteer registration form template

This is a volunteer registration form template. You can use it as a guide or just insert your own details.

Statement of principles for the recognition of volunteers

NSW Volunteering's principles for fairness, respect and dignity.

Skills Audit Template

Assess the skills of volunteers and identify skill development needs.

Volunteer succession planning: a ‘how-to’ guide

How to retain current volunteers and plan for new ones.

Not-for-profit Law – National Volunteer Guide

The laws surrounding volunteering can be complex, the National Volunteer Guide covers the key legal obligations organisations owe their volunteers.

Volunteer Management Handbook

The Volunteer Management Handbook has been designed to support new, existing and aspiring Volunteer Managers and Coordinators in their role.

Volunteer Handbook

The Volunteer Handbook has been designed to support new and existing Volunteers as they embark on their volunteering journey.

Digital Literacy Library

The Digital Literacy Library is a resource for volunteer-run organisations to develop their business management and communication skills online.

Volunteer Management Webinars

Viewable video documentation from a recent series of webinars focused on topical issues in volunteer management.

Online Help Desk

The Centre for Volunteering has established a Help Desk to answer queries from all volunteer-involving organisations across NSW about issues relating to volunteers and volunteer management practices

National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement provide a sound framework for supporting the volunteer sector in Australia.

2023 New South Wales State of Volunteering Report

A comprehensive report on the volunteering sector in NSW from The Centre for Volunteering, presents a detailed examination of the characteristics of volunteers and volunteer management in NSW.

Volunteering Resource Hub

The Volunteering Resource Hub, an initiative of Volunteering Australia, brings together useful, evidence-based and current best practice resources, tools, research and information to support effective volunteer management.

National Exhibition Register

The NETS Australia National Exhibition Register features touring exhibitions available for your venue.

Artists Fees and Wages

A list of resources on artist and practitioner fees, wages and payments for exhibitions.

2013 NSW Museum and Gallery Sector Census and Survey

Early in 2013, M&G NSW undertook a comprehensive census and survey of the sector. Find out the results here.

Benchmarking Reports for Small to Medium Museums and Galleries in New South Wales

These Benchmarking Reports have been developed as part of the 2022 Museums & Galleries of NSW Sector Census, offering valuable insights into the operations of small to medium sized museums and galleries across the state.

Horizon Reports

The Horizon Reports are a publication of the New Media Consortium and the Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts. New technology trends, impacts and challenges are identified and discussed and each technology is explored in detail with case studies.

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery: Sydney metro report

Guess Who’s Going to the Gallery? is a strategic audience evaluation study spanning from 2007 to 2010 undertaken by M&G.

National Touring Survey Report

The National Touring Survey collected responses from 95 small to medium public galleries, university and community art galleries from across Australia in early 2013.

Adding Value!

How cultural facilities contribute to the local economies of the NSW Evocities.

GLAM Innovation Study

Challenges and Opportunities for Australia’s Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums

Audience Research Toolkit

The Audience Research Toolkit, developed by Creative Victoria, is a one stop shop for anyone wanting to understand their market and identify gaps and growth areas.

2018 NSW Museum & Gallery Sector Census

The overall objective of this study was to gain factual and reliable data for the sector on collections, staffing levels, facilities, funding and visitation.

Who’s Coming? Respectful Audience Surveying Toolkit

Do you know who's coming to your events and programs - and who isn't? The team at OF/BY/FOR ALL has developed a toolkit to give you a free, simple, step-by-step guide to collecting high-quality participant data. You can use it to create a plan, build a survey, and start collecting data right away.

Covid-19 Sector Survey – Report 2020

The final results of our survey into the economic and operational effects that the shutdown and continued restrictions have exacted on museums, galleries and keeping places in NSW.

Covid-19 Sector Survey – Report 2021

The 2021 results of our survey into the economic and operational effects that the shutdown and continued restrictions have exacted on museums, galleries and Aboriginal keeping places in NSW.

2022 NSW Museum & Gallery Sector Census

As part of the Museums & Galleries of NSW research program, we conduct a comprehensive Census every four years to gather reliable data on collections, staffing levels, facilities, funding, and visitation within the sector.

Museum Social Impact Toolkit

The Museum Social Impact Toolkit is a guide for museums to collect and analyse social impact data. Developed by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums.

Cultural Tourism in Regional NSW – Report

In 2024, the NSW Regional Arts Network partnered with Patternmakers to deliver a new analysis of cultural tourism in regional NSW. With the NSW Government's emphasis on 'experience tourism,' this report highlights the scale of cultural tourism and identifies opportunities for its growth and development.

Organising your collection store

A video from Museums Australia Victoria showing you how to organise your collection store.

Facility Reports

This is an M&G fact sheet on facility reports for touring exhibitions.

Collection storage: Shelving

This is an M&G fact sheet about different types of shelving for your collection.

Storage and display: Suitable and unsuitable materials

This list by M&G list which sorts commonly used materials such as wood products, coatings, adhesives and fabrics into suitable and unsuitable categories.

Storage and Display Supplier List

This resource includes contact details for suppliers specialising in display cases, signage, mannequins and storage.

Storage materials to avoid

A fact sheet from Museums Galleries Scotland providing an overview of storage materials which can cause damage to collection items.

How to create a small exhibition for your museum

By Museums Australia Victoria

Introduction to Lighting

This is a fact sheet about lighting for displays.

Media players

This M&G fact sheet looks at a number of currently available media players for showing video in Museums & Galleries.

Using projectors in a gallery space

This M&G NSW resource outlines the factors to consider when selecting and installing a projector and contains a troubleshooting guide for common issues you might encounter.

How to Engage with Young People

How can you attract young people to your museum or gallery, and more importantly how can you motivate and retain a young audience - This resource was developed as part of M&G NSW's Engaging Art initiative.

So you want to plan an exhibition? A checklist

A list of points to consider when you are planning an exhibition, developed by Arts OutWest.

Curatorial Toolkit

This is a toolkit developed by 2010 Legacies Now to assist with the entire curatorial process, from researching an idea right to installing the exhibition.

Basic Install Tips – 2D Hanging

Some basic tips for 2D artwork installation.

Artist Contracts and Agreements

This is an M&G fact sheet about artist loan and contracts and agreements.

How to promote an upcoming exhibition

Publicity and PR is all about building a positive profile and raising awareness - This resource was developed as part of M&G NSW's Engaging Art initiative.

Digital Suppliers List for Museums and Galleries

A list of suppliers for anyone planning to use digital technologies to enhance the galley or museum experience.

Digitising Your Collection – Part 5 Metadata and Access

This 'thinking about' resource discusses metadata and how to provide access to your digitised collection.

Cultural Merchandising

This is a presentation from the Regional & Public Galleries Conference 2014. Stephen Quin outlines the keys to success in cultural merchandising.

Looking After Silver

This sheet explains how to clean silver and how to slow down the corrosion process.

Handling Museum Objects

Preventive conservation starts with careful handling. This M&G how to guide takes you through some guidelines on how to handle objects.

Cleaning in Museums

This how to guide by History SA takes you through a cleaning regime for the museum space, display and storage areas and individual objects.

Guidelines for the Care of Media Artworks

This site aims to be a resource for collectors, artists, and institutions of all sizes caring for works of art that have moving image, electronic, and digital elements.

Plan and Prioritise for Collection Care

A collection care how to guide by SHARE Museums East.

Caring for photographic collections

This how-to guide includes common causes of deterioration and several quick tips for preventing damage to photographic collections.

Caring for Historic Farm Machinery

This publication is for museums and historical societies with heritage collections, museum advisors and private collectors.

Collections Care Manual

The Collections Care Manual developed by Western Australian Museum is an online resource developed for small museums, galleries and private collectors.

Light Damage and Light Control

Light damage is cumulative and irreversible but can be minimised.

How to Make a Book Support for Display

This resource provides instructions to make a simple archival book support for display.

A guide to interpreting horse-drawn carriages in museum collections

This guide brings together best practice in the interpretation of carriages to help museums bring them to life. Developed by the Staffordshire Carriage Collection.

Scanning photographs

This resource takes you through the process of scanning and making digital copies of photographs in your collection.

Handling paper, paintings and framed objects

This how to sheet by M&G will take you through the steps of handling papers, paintings and framed objects.

A simple mount for photos and documents

Photos and documents can be protected with this simple mount for display.

Handling textiles, furniture, ceramics and glass objects

This how to guide by M&G will show you how to handle textiles, furniture, ceramics and glass objects.

How to Make Photo Corners for Display

This resource gives step by step instructions on how to effectively secure photos or documents to an archival backboard for display.

How to Brush Vacuum an Object

Removing dust and dirt by brush vacuuming (surface cleaning) can be very beneficial for many material types.

Visual Glossary of conservation terms

This web resource is a set of photographic images which describe damage and deterioration in object collections.

Preventive Conservation

This how to guide looks at practical steps you can take to ensure the protection, safety and security of your collection. By Te Papa National Services.

Combatting Mould

This how to pamphlet by Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory is all about how to combat mould in the wet season.

Environmental guidelines: an interim position

This report addresses changes to the Environmental Guidelines for storage and display of collections in museums and galleries.

Managing Pests in the Collection

This how to sheet from History SA will assist you with Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

NGV Artists’ Colourmen Resource

This how to guide assists in the identification and dating of paintings using Artists' Colourmen stamps.

Caring for Collections Work Book

This how to guide provides an overview of how to care for book and document and why this is important. By the British Library Preservation Advisory Centre.

Identify medical objects in museum collections

This how to by M&G NSW takes you through the steps of identifying medical objects in your collection and why it is important to do so.

Pack and store books

This online resource will help you manage the conservation needs of books in your collection.

Condition Reports – the Essentials

There are several different types of condition reports and many sorts of condition reporting forms. This guide outlines the essentials of creating a thorough and accurate report.

Condition Reports

This guide outlines the equipment and vocabulary commonly used when creating condition reports.

The Care and Handling of Library Collections

The Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation, Thomas J. Watson Library, has put together this video on the care and proper handling of library materials.

Why aren’t you wearing gloves? The conservators’ guide to object handling in the British Museum

To help clear up confusion, the British Museum asked their conservators to explain when you should (and shouldn't) wear gloves while handling museum objects.

Preservation of historic leather, including saddlery

This how to guide looks at practical steps you can take to ensure the protection of historic leather objects, including saddlery.

Airborne Particles in Museums

This study from The Getty Conservation Institute represents part of a series of research activities aimed at a better understanding of the origin and fate of air pollution within the built environment.

Tourism with integrity

Best practice strategies for cultural and heritage organisations in the tourism industry.

How to Conduct Audience Research

Audience research is about finding out who your existing visitors and program participants are and why they come. This guide explains the steps of planning, designing, testing, collecting, reflecting and acting.

Open Up: museums for everyone

A practical guide to support museums to increase the diversity of their visitors.

Technology free interactives

Easy ways to make your museum more interactive.

Museum fatigue

Museum Hack discusses museum-friendly spaces from a 1916 paper.

How to Develop a Public Program

Public programs are a core way that galleries and museums engage with audiences and attract new visitors. This guide covers all aspects of designing public programs that are meaningful cultural experiences.

Cultural Mediation Resources

Cultural Mediation worksheets for in-gallery use by staff and volunteers, developed by UQ Art Museum in partnership with M&G NSW.

Introduction to Access

A guide to making museums and galleries physically, culturally, socially, intellectually, attitudinally and financially accessible.

Describing your Brand

The importance of a single message and being 'on brand' when developing a strategic or communications plan.

Image Licence Template

Use this template to create your own image licence.

Tax guide for arts organisations

This guide will help not-for-profit arts/cultural organisations and individual artists understand the formalities associated with receiving philanthropic income.

Not for Profit Law Information Hub

Legal resources for not for profit organisations.

Cultural Tourism Toolkit

Designed to assist small regional communities to enhance, profile and package their cultural offering.

Putting together a brief for a consultant

What to consider when preparing a project brief for a potential consultant.

Communicating a creative vision

Strategic planning resource for creative and community based organisations.

Creative Workplaces

The Creative Workplaces website is a free online resource to help build fair, safe and respectful workplaces across Australia’s creative industries.

Align your business plan with local council policies and objectives

Strategic planning resource on aligning your cultural Business Plan with NSW local council policies and objectives.

Arts advocacy

Develop an arts advocacy strategy using this M&G how-to guide.

Writing a press release

A step by step guide to preparing a press release.

Legal requirements: Insurance and compliance

Legal requirements for not-for-profit, non-government museums, galleries and Aboriginal keeping places in NSW.

Marketing for Museums

An introduction to the fundamentals of marketing and the importance of understanding your audience.

Taxation requirements for not-for-profits

Australian Taxation Office requirements for NFP non-government organisations.

Copyright: the basics

Definitions and terms explained.

Change is Inevitable: The Essentials of Succession Planning

Webinar presented by the California Association of Museums - Succession planning keeps your organisation moving forward during the inevitable changes that come with running a nonprofit.

Writing a Strategic Plan

Create NSW guide for Independent Arts & Cultural organisations - multi-year funding program.

Guide to Deductible Gift Recipient Status

A guide to applying for and maintaining deductible gift recipient endorsement, developed by Justice Connect.

Webinar – Roadmap to Reopening

On 14 October 2021, Museums & Galleries of NSW hosted an information session webinar with Dr Bec Dean from Create NSW, focusing on current information available to help museums, galleries and Aboriginal keeping places prepare for reopening.

Contracts in 10 Questions

Contracts in 10 Questions is a fact sheet developed by Arts Law Centre of Australia that answers 10 vital questions surrounding Contract agreements made between two or more parties that is legally enforceable. Questions covered include: What is a contract? Are contracts always in writing? How do I know if I’ve entered into a contract?

National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries 2.0

The National Standards aim to support Australian museums, galleries and collecting organisations to achieve their objectives, from high-level policy, planning and stakeholder liaison, to practical everyday activities.

AIM Association of Independent Museums – Success Guides

AIM Success Guides are a series of publications giving museums access to relevant and expert advice, from running a museum, setting up a museum, to running a café, fundraising  and Governance.

Digital Preservation Handbook

This Handbook provides a practical guide to managing digital resources over time and the issues in sustaining access to them.

Rust Never Sleeps: Care and Conservation of Farm Machinery

This publication from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences is for anyone who cares for historic farm machinery.

Digitising Your Collection – Part 4 Scanning and Handling Tips

This 'thinking about' resource takes you through some scanning and handling tips.

Digitising Your Collection – Part 2 The Golden Rule of Digitisation

This 'thinking about' resource takes you through the golden rule of digitisation, 'capture once, use many times'.

How to Develop a Disaster Plan

This is a 'how-to' guide by M&G that describes the steps involved with developing a disaster plan.

Bushfire

Much of NSW is bushfire prone. And that means if you have a collection, whether it be a moveable one or a historic site you’ll need to be prepared.

Shopping list: flood recovery

List of supplies for onsite flood disaster management.

Not all is lost in a fire

Step-by-step approach for salvaging objects after a fire.

First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis

This two-part publication will help you to plan and implement coordinated cultural rescue and risk reduction operations.

Flood and Water Damage

A collection of resources that deal with the process of salvaging water damaged collections for museums and galleries.

Museums and Disaster Risk Reduction

Disasters – crises, emergencies, damaging situations – come in many shapes and sizes. Reducing their occurrence and their impact is a key part of good management and securing a future that is better than the present. Disaster Risk Reduction is not just about surviving disasters, but working to reduce the likelihood of disasters happening in

Action for Climate Empowerment: a guide for galleries, libraries, archives and museums

This short guide has been developed to help galleries, libraries, archives and museums – wherever they are – to move fast to support the all-of-society aspects of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement, and the new Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment. Developed by Curating Tomorrow, Henry McGhie.

Tips for Conservators Entering a Disaster Zone

Important lessons learnt by Julie McCarthy, a conservation professional, while working on the ground recovering cultural material following the catastrophic Lismore Flood in 2022. 

2025 Disaster Preparedness Calendar

AICCM has developed a 2025 Disaster Preparedness Calendar to help cultural organisations act in a timely manner and be prepared for the hazards prominent in their region.

All Is Not Lost: The Collection Recovery Book

This publication is for museums, historical societies and anyone who has objects affected by a disaster. It provides basic advice on how to salvage treasured objects after a disaster has occurred.

NSW Cultural Sector Disaster Support Network

This Facebook group has been developed by Museums & Galleries of NSW as a point of connection for the NSW cultural sector during disasters.

Facebook Evaluation

A guide to evaluating the success and statistics of your Facebook page for small museums and galleries.

Digital Strategy for Museums Guide

A showcase of digital strategy documents and related resources from leading museums and cultural organisations.

reCollections : Caring for Collections Across Australia

Provides practical advice and guidance designed to help museums, galleries, and custodians of historical collections care for their heritage. reCollections explains how to apply preventative conservation techniques to cultural objects and collections.

How to use Instagram to engage audiences

Museum Hack look at four Instagram accounts from museums around the world who are doing it right when it comes to engaging audiences.

Social Media Toolkit for Cultural Managers

This manual explores how organisations can expand their online brand so as to push both the reach and significance of their current social media efforts using a range of tools.

Digitising Your Collection – Part 1 Project Planning

This 'thinking about' resource takes you through the first step of digitising your collection - planning your project.

Digital definitions for small museums

What exactly is a digital asset? Confused by technology and wanting to sort your modems from your routers and find out what a tablet is? Then let’s start at the very beginning.

Getting your organisation listed on Google (My Business)

Put your organisation information on Google Search and Maps, so that customers can find you, no matter what device they're using.

Digital Transformation in the Museum Industry

Produced in conjunction with Museums & The Web, this 15 page report draws on the views of more than 70 professionals working in museums across the world to explore the digital strategies of today’s museums and how they link to visitor engagement plans and focus areas for investment.

Culture is Digital

Policy Paper - Using technology to drive audience engagement, boosting the digital capability of cultural organisations and unleashing the creative potential of technology. Developed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, United Kingdom.

How-to: Do oral history

This is an M&G guide on how-to do oral history, including why and how.

How to photograph a painting or two-dimensional artwork

Photographing prints and paintings for documentation or reproduction.

Digital Access to Collections Toolkit

Practical tools for volunteers and staff in small to medium museums, galleries, libraries and archives in Australia that are collecting digital items, undertaking digitisation, and providing online access to their collections.

Using Social Media to Engage Audiences

Social media is an important tool, allowing you to communicate to your audience and for them to communicate with you.

Copyright and the Digital Economy

This discussion paper by the Australian Law Reform Commission is about copyright and the digital economy.

Digitising Your Collection – Part 3 Technical Specifications

This 'thinking about' resource takes you through the technical specifications of a digitisation project.

Collections Management as Critical Museum Practice

A new publication from UCL Press that critically assesses collections management from alternative perspectives.

What is Significance 2.0 and why use it?

In this video, Museums of History NSW Curator Anna Cossu briefly outlines what ‘Significance’ is and the benefits of using the significance assessment process.

How to do a significance assessment

In this video, Museums of History NSW Curator Anna Cossu steps through the significance assessment process.

Sample Loan register

This is sample Loan register gives you an easy way to document your loans

Painting Conservation, identifying damage and storing paintings in your collection

Conservators from International Conservation Services demonstrate the most common types and causes of damage that may arise in paintings and how to identify them. Additionally, they cover the ideal conditions for storing and displaying paintings in your collection.

Paper Conservation, identifying common forms of damage and storing paper in your collection

A Conservator from International Conservation Services demonstrates the most common types and causes of damage that can affect paper collections and explains how to identify them. Additionally, the presentation covers the ideal conditions for storing and displaying paper items in your collection.

Cataloguing

Fact sheet about cataloguing for museum collections, including a template resource.

List of approved valuers

This is a list of approved valuers under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Cultural Gifts Program Guide

The Cultural Gifts Program encourages Australians to donate items of cultural significance from private collections to public art galleries, museums, libraries and archives.

Collection policies

This resource explains what a collection policy is, its importance and how to develop one.

Bequests fact sheet

Bequests are one means of acquiring objects or financial support. Museums and galleries need to be aware of some important legal and management considerations in this area.

Identify prints and photos

Online resource for all identifying all print types.

Collections Law

The Collections Law website provides resources for those working in an archive, gallery, museum or library.

Australian best practice guide to collecting cultural material

This guide describes the ethical and legal issues that museums, galleries and libraries need to consider when they acquire or borrow cultural material.

Deaccessioning and Disposal

This fact sheet by M&G NSW takes you through the process of deaccessioning and disposing of objects in your collection.

Computer Cataloguing Databases

This 'thinking about' resource by M&G tells you about the advantages and limitations of cataloguing your collection using a database.

Loans Fact Sheet

This M&G fact sheet explains the process of documenting museum loans.

Inward Loan sample agreement

This template gives you the basics of inward loans agreements

Engaging Volunteers for Your Arts Organisation

This guide provides practical advice for arts organisations on how to effectively recruit, manage, and retain volunteers, offering insights into legal responsibilities and best practices for fostering long-term engagement.

Contemporary Collecting Toolkit

This toolkit is an introduction to contemporary collecting for museum staff and volunteers who don’t have direct experience of acquiring recent material and who want to understand the basics.

Storage on a shoestring: housing collection items

This video has been developed by Museums of History NSW, primarily for staff and volunteers working in small to medium-sized museums, particularly in regional and remote NSW.

Storage on a shoestring: why collection storage matters

This video has been developed by Museums of History NSW, primarily for staff and volunteers working in small to medium-sized museums, particularly in regional and remote NSW.

Off the Shelf: a toolkit for ethical transfer, reuse and disposal

Developed by the Museums Association, this toolkit is designed to support museum workers to grasp the challenge of proliferating collections and undertake active disposals.

Significance 2.0: a guide to assessing the significance of collections

Aims to help collecting organisations, collections professionals and the broader public to determine the significance of cultural and heritage objects.

Small Museums Cataloguing Manual

The 5th edition of the Small Museums Cataloguing Manual by AMaGA Victoria. This key sector resource introduces users to the cataloguing process, from planning and procedures to digitisation and the management of digital collections. This essential practical tool is free to download.

Choose collections software

Not sure which collections management software to choose? Collections Trust has developed a web tool that allows you to select your preferred requirements and features.

Outward Loan sample agreement

This template gives you the basics for creating an outward loan agreement.

Collection Management Systems

This resource outlines the key considerations in the purchase and use of CMS programs and contains a list of some of the most commonly used software.

Reviewing collections

A guide to support museums in considering and selecting appropriate methodologies to guide the rationalisation of their collections.

Acquisition register template

Easily document your object accessions using this template.

Deed of gift form

You can use this template to document the transfer of ownership of donated objects.

Acquisition fact sheet

This M&G fact sheet takes you through the formal process of obtaining legal possession by purchase, donation or through the bequest of an item.

The GIFT Box: tools and ways of working to help museums make richer digital experiences for their visitors

A set of open-source tools and ways of working, with the aim to help museums and other cultural heritage institutions to offer richer digital experiences for their visitors.

Collections Response and Safe Storage Unit

The Collections Response and Safe Storage Unit has been launched as a public-private partnership to provide urgent disaster response and conservation support for art, cultural, and heritage collections across New South Wales.

Storage on a shoestring: getting started

This video has been developed by Museums of History NSW, primarily for staff and volunteers working in small to medium-sized museums, particularly in regional and remote NSW.